The destruction of over 2,000 rubber trees on a six-hectare plantation belonging to Ghana Rubber Estates Limited (GREL) is more than an unfortunate corporate loss—it is a national tragedy. This incident illustrates, once again, the destructive force of illegal mining (galamsey) and its ability to erode the very foundation of our agricultural and economic future.
Rubber, cocoa, and oil palm are not merely cash crops. They are lifelines that sustain families, create jobs, and generate foreign exchange to support national development. Each destroyed tree represents years of patient investment and the lost livelihoods of farmers who depend on these plantations for survival. Here, we are reminded of the timeless truth, tempus fugit (time flies)—years of growth can be undone in mere hours of reckless mining.
Yet, galamsey operators continue to carve out farmlands, pollute rivers, and leave behind landscapes pockmarked with abandoned pits. Despite several government interventions, the menace persists, thriving on weak enforcement, community complicity, and sometimes political protection. If we do not act with fortitudo (strength) and constantia (steadfastness), we risk surrendering our future to short-sighted greed.
It is time for a decisive national response. Law enforcement agencies must act with consistency, not in fits and starts. Traditional authorities must rise above short-term gains and defend the integrity of their lands. Communities must recognize that the quick money from illegal mining is outweighed by the long-term devastation it brings. Salus populi suprema lex (the welfare of the people is the supreme law) must guide our collective action.
We cannot allow reckless mining to swallow both our forests and farms. If rubber trees, cocoa farms, and other plantations continue to fall victim to galamsey, Ghana risks undermining decades of agricultural progress and jeopardizing food security.
This is not GREL’s battle alone—it is Ghana’s fight for survival. Let this latest destruction be the wake-up call for stronger policies, harsher penalties, and above all, genuine commitment to ending illegal mining once and for all. For as the ancients reminded us, actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea (an act does not make a person guilty unless the mind is guilty)—those who knowingly permit this devastation are equally culpable.
And so, as we confront this crisis with courage and resolve, we must march forward under one rallying cry:
“Ad astra per aspera” (To the stars through difficulties).
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